1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to orthopedic back support braces, and more particularly to back braces for providing localized support for musculature of the lower lumbar spine of a wearer of the back brace.
2. Description of Related Art
Lower back pain is a very common occurrence that afflicts many people and can be acute, such as when associated with a single traumatic event, or chronic, such as from the rigors of manual labor associated with certain types of employment. Despite the pervasiveness of lower back pain, most surgical options for treating lower back injuries are invasive and are therefore typically reserved for the worst back injuries. Short of such surgery, most treatments for lower back injuries comprise either pain management with the use of over-the-counter or prescription drugs, or stabilization the lower back through the use of an orthopedic back brace. Advantageously, orthopedic back braces provide additional support to the lower back during lifting, bending and other activities. In addition, the back brace supplements the proprioception of the wearer by reminding the wearer of the limitations caused by the injury, thereby promoting recovery and avoiding further injury.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,085 to Leighton (“Leighton”) discloses a lower lumbar support 10 including a support belt 12 constructed of an elastic material, a pair of pressure pads 14, 16 positioned at the lower back of a wearer and a pressure strap 18 attached to the support belt and extending over the pressure pads, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 8 of Leighton. As shown by FIG. 9 of Leighton, the pads include protrusions 5, 6 that extend from the belt and contact the wearer's lower back muscles on opposite sides of the spine. The pads are either rectangular, as shown in FIG. 1, or semi-elliptical as shown in FIG. 2, with the pads in each configuration having opposing straight medial edges providing clearance for the spine. During use, the support belt is tightened about the wearer's waist and the pressure exerted by the pads is adjusted by adjusting the tightness of the overlapping pressure strap. Despite allowing for adjustability of the pressure exerted by the pads, improvements are still needed that balance both the support provided by the back brace with the comfort of wearing the brace.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a back brace that provides firm support for a wearer's lumbar spine. In addition, it would be advantageous if the back brace included support features that were comfortable to wear without sacrificing the firm support, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the back brace by increasing its frequency of use.